Last Stand
by Sora532
Summary: Slightly AU. Set during the Calm Lands, Tidus and Yuna share one last moment together before Tidus dies.


Tidus's body could no longer support his weight as he fell to the ground, landing on his back. The impact was greatly cushioned by the mud from the rain soaking the dirt.

Tidus stared at the sky and realized that he would die alone. He accepted it. Welcomed it even.

He turned his thoughts to his injuries; from what he could see and feel, his clothes were soaked in his blood and his face felt sticky from the same fluid. He also noticed that his clothes were in tatters from the battle, several bullet holes had pierced his chest but all but one had missed his heart.

It was fitting, he reasoned. That the cheerful blitzer would die fighting.

However, he would have preferred to die somewhere other than the Calm Lands. He didn't know why, but he felt a strange foreboding from this place.

"Tidus!" Two voice shouted, clearly terrified. Tidus moved his eyes and couldn't help but wince at all the dead bodies that littered the wasteland. He regretted having to take such drastic action but he would later reason that it would be better this way; the army was gone and his friends could continue to Zanarkand without devout Yevonites getting in the way.

Tidus's eyes caught sight of two people running towards him a man and a young woman. The boy had red-orange hair held back with a sea blue headband, brown eyes, and tan skin though his skin turned pale at the sight of Tidus's almost dead body. His yellow tank top was drenched with water just like his baggy yellow pants and his armor had been removed. His sandals being the only other thing he wore.

The girl was even paler, Tidus noted; her skin was much paler than Tidus remembered, her chocolate brown hair was soaked, heterochromatic eyes shining with tears mixed with rain and she was shaking uncontrollably. Her pleated skirt was dark violet with a floral print; he could make out a black camisole underneath the white sash over her neck and chest and the various bracelets that adorned her wrists and the black boots on her feet. The girl also wore a yellow obi-belt in an intricate knot and two sleeves hanging from her upper arms.

"Tidus," the young man repeated. Tidus stared at him weakly as he tried to wrack his memory for who these people were; his mind was still suffering from fatigue as his body slowly shut down.

And then he remembered: Wakka and Yuna. They were here to see him die? This story was going to end more painfully than he would have liked if they were both here.

He saw Yuna reluctantly back away two steps as Wakka stepped closer to the dying boy.

"For...all of us," Tidus whispered hoarsely. If only he could drink a little bit of water. Maybe he could catch someone of the rainwater.

"All...of us?" Wakka repeated slowly.

Tidus nodded, "That's right. You're gonna..."

"You're gonna..." Wakka repeated.

"Live," Tidus managed to move his arm and pulled Wakka's face into his chest.

If the situation weren't so severe, Wakka would have made a witty comment about how awkward it would be to do that but this was serious: his best friend was dying!

When Tidus let him go, he saw from a nearby puddle that he had Tidus's blood on his face. Not that he cared.

"Take care of her," he begged his friend. "Do what I couldn't do," he pleaded.

Wakka nodded resolutely, "I promise, ya." Tidus breathed a shaky sigh of relief. Wakka felt hot tears bursting from his eyes. It should have been him who died today, not Tidus!

Wakka took two steps back gesturing for Yuna to walk forward. She took two steps toward her love interest and kneeled by his side.

"Yuna..." he smiled weakly at her, making her heart clench tightly as the floodgates shattered. Molten hot tears made their way from her blue and green irises and flowed down her porcelain cheeks.

The summoner pulled his body into her arms and their faces were mere inches away from each other.

Yuna, in a moment of sheer boldness, mashed her lips against his as though she could heal him with her lips and kissed as hard as she could. She could feel Tidus kissing her back, much to her grim delight. While it was not as dramatic as the Macalania woods had been, Yuna enjoyed and relished the feeling of Tidus's lips on hers all the same.

Unfortunately, the kiss ended as quickly and abruptly as it began as Tidus slipped out of Yuna's arms and back onto the ground. Yuna quickly pulled him back and held him tightly. Reveling in the only form of comfort that she enjoyed and was in tears about the thought of it being taken away from her.

"Yuna..." Tidus began, breaking the young summoner out of her thoughts.

Yuna remained silent as she listened to his labored breathing and his near nonexistent heartbeat. She mentally cursed herself for not getting here sooner and wished there was something she could do to save him.

"...My one and only," he finished. Yuna felt his blood cling to her hair and face but she didn't care as she buried her face in his shoulder, hugging him tightly. She miserably noted that he felt colder with every passing second.

"My dreams...my goals..." he struggled to lift the Brotherhood sword but knew that his time was fast running out. He pushed the blade into Yuna's hand and clumsily tried to close them and give a final push but his arms fell back at his sides, useless.

"They're yours now..." he finished. "Take care of them..."

"No…" she shook her head as the blade clattered out of her hands. "You promised me," she quietly told him. "You said you would stay with me always."

She gripped Tidus's hand tightly as she and Wakka watched in horror as Tidus's eyes slowly closed with zero chance of opening again.

"No…" Yuna shook her head as more tears broke free of their optic prisons and started pouring down her cheeks. She saw that Wakka was in a similar state as he stared at Tidus's now dead body.

Yuna felt all of her emotions drowning her and remembered a word of advice Tidus had given back at the Kilika temple.

Yuna let out a scream that seemed to try to let out her emotions: grief, sorrow, anger, rage, and frustration. The scream sounded unearthly, like an unreal creature had let off a terrifying roar. She took a deep breath and resumed her unearthly screech.

Wakka glared at Bevelle's now nonexistent army as kneeled by Tidus's side.

"We can't leave him here," said Yuna, her voice hoarse and eyes puffy with tears.

"We won't, ya?" Wakka promised as Yuna gripped his weapon tightly, staring at it intently. She should have told him her feelings for him when she had the chance but now it was too late.

She watched in unconcealed horror as Tidus's body slowly began to fade and turn into several pyreflies that quickly descended to the Farplane. The young summoner realized that she had to perform the Sending but struggled to follow the steps as it would be forcing her to realize that Tidus was dead.

"Come on, we shouldn't stay here," Wakka stated grimly when she had finished, holding her shoulder. Yuna nodded, glaring at the spot where Tidus had died as though mentally blaming the spot for her love's death.

The pair walked away with tearstained faces and broken hearts.

_You promised._

_Please don't leave me. _

_I love you._


End file.
